The conference brought together more than 20 invited speakers from a variety of disciplines including economics, geography, political science, and sociology. Invited speakers represented several higher education institutes in the area, including Agnes Scott College, Emory University, Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, Spelman College and University of Georgia, at Athens. Conference sessions highlighted research on a broad range of developmental challenges, such as immigrants and refugees, poverty and inequality, elections and provision of public goods, government programs and the role of state.

The conference highlighted the Development Studies Program, an interdisciplinary research group that brings together faculty at Georgia Tech who conduct research in the broad area of development. Dr. Anjali Bohlken (INTA), Dr. Alberto Fuentes (INTA/SCaRP), Dr. Allen Hyde (HSOC) and Dr. Olga Shemyakina (ECON) participated in the conference. Welcome remarks were offered by Dr. Eric Schatzberg (Chair, HSOC), Dr. Joe Bankoff (Chair, INTA) and Dr. Laura Taylor (Chair, ECON). Funding for the conference was provided by the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology.